1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a skateboard truck and more particularly to skateboard truck with a pivot axis alignment system.
2. State of the Art
Skateboards are commonly used for recreation, sport or transportation. Skate boards consist of a board typically formed of wood, such as maple veneers that are glued together to form what is commonly referred to as the deck. The deck is what a rider stands on while riding a skateboard. The deck is mounted onto trucks that provide the axles for mounting wheels onto. The trucks allow for two wheels to be mounted on the axle of each truck, thereby providing four wheels under the deck for the rider to roll on while standing on the top surface of the deck. It is also common for each truck to have two axles with a common axis where the two axles are aligned on opposing ends of the hanger. This is commonly referred to as split axles. Trucks that have a single axle is commonly referred to as a straight axle.
A skateboard truck consists of a base plate, a hanger, a pivot member, a pivot cup, an axle coupled to the hanger, a kingpin and bushings that allow for the tilting and rotating of the hanger with respect to the base. The bushings establish the amount of force a user must exert in order to tilt and rotate the hanger of the truck. The kingpin couples the hanger to the base plate, sandwiching a portion of the hanger between two bushings, with the pivot member engaging the pivot cup.
Conventional skateboard trucks have a kingpin that is a bolt that extends from the base plate and connects the hanger to the base plate by use of a kingpin bolt. Conventional skateboard trucks have hangers with the pivot member that is received within the pivot cup. This engagement provides the pivot point and pivot access of the truck and creates the pivot angle of the trucks. The pivot angle of the trucks is what determines the steering ability of the trucks. For example, it is typically understood that a high pivot angle makes the trucks more sensitive to leaning and facilitates steering by leaning and a lower pivot angle makes trucks less sensitive to leaning and thereby makes the skateboard more stable. The angle of the trucks can be critical depending on the desired form of riding a skateboard and the desired quality of ride on the skateboard. However, as the kingpin bolt is tightened, the pivot member extending from the hanger engages the fixed pivot cup at an angle with respect to the axis of the cup and alters the pivot axis of the truck. This affects the predictability of the steering capabilities of the skateboard truck, as well as increases wear and tear on truck components.
Additionally, the configuration of the kingpin of a conventional skateboard truck allows for a certain amount of movement during riding, which movement is magnified at faster speeds. The kingpin is extended through a hole in the base plate, through a bushing, through a hole in the hanger, through another bushing and then is engaged by a nut. The nut is tightened to secure the hanger to the base plate, while the nut limits movement along the kingpin, there is no mechanism that prevents lateral movement of the kingpin within the hole of the base, the hanger or both. As greater speeds this lateral movement poses safety risks by making the skateboard less stable by creating a vibrating or “chatter” effect on the wheels, wherein the wheels in turn vibrate and decrease control of the skateboard Further, the movement of the kingpin causes additional wear on the kingpin, the base plate, the hanger and the bushings.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field of skateboard trucks for an improved skateboard truck that address at least the above mentioned limitations of conventional trucks.